Katie Richardson recently began working on the CLIR-funded archival processing project, Excavating L.A.: USC's Hidden Southern California History Collections. She began by tackling the Homefront collection, which includes historic photographs, video footage, and other primary materials used for the critically acclaimed PBS documentary about American life during World War II. After processing Homefront, Richardson began processing the papers of Amy Ransome and other women's suffrage activists.
After reviewing the materials in the archival collection, Richardson shared her first impressions:
In light of the fact that this year is the 90th anniversary of the passing of the 19th amendment, I thought it would be fitting that the next collection I processed would be the papers of Amy Ransome, former California state chairwoman of the National Woman's Party. Ransome was actively involved in the women’s suffrage movement and campaigned for the woman's right to vote. The collection consists largely of printed materials such as information bulletins, newsletters, leaflets, pamphlets, magazines, flyers, and article clippings highlighting both sides of the issue. For example, the Men’s League of Los Angeles opposed giving women the right to vote and suggested that it would lead to anarchy in our society. Ransome's collection is important because it documents the struggle that women and men experienced in their efforts to ensure that women would achieve equal status. In light of the California state general election coming up in November, it reminds us of the importance of voting and not taking this right for granted. I thoroughly look forward to processing the papers in this collection and seeing what I can dig up.
Poster from the women's suffrage movement
Postcard showing activists picketing at the White House
Another historic political postcard from the Amy Ransome papers